A digital declutter checklist is a great way to start and organize your digital life. In today’s fast-paced age, our lives are often cluttered with distractions. Our inboxes are overflowing and our phone storages are full.
This guide will focus on removing distractions, emptying our inboxes, organizing our apps, clearing toxicity, and much more!
That’s where the digital declutter checklist comes in. It will help you achieve a decluttered digital environment that will benefit your productivity, mood, and joy.
I divided the decluttering process into 6 main categories with sub-categories for easy reading. This way, you can do a quick scan if you’re busy.
I included a FREE digital declutter checklist for you! Scroll down and grab your freebie today.
This post might contain affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you purchase an item through them.
1. Emails
1. Unread emails
I don’t know about you, but my personal email scares me!
I have a nasty habit of only scanning my emails, leaving most unread. Don’t worry, I don’t do this with my blog’s email :-).
Be conscious of marking all your emails as read at once. It may result in you missing an important email. Rather open them.
2. Delete emails
Next, you want to delete all unnecessary emails.
Be sure you don’t delete important emails by accident. You can do this by either marking them as important or starring them.
Remember to delete the emails in your spam, junk, and trash folders.
3. Unsubscribe
Unsubscribe from emails or newsletters you don’t find useful anymore. They tend to fill up your inbox quickly.
However, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter! I only pop in once a week. AND you will get the password to my resource library where you’ll find all my freebies.
2. Browser
1. Clear your history, cache, and cookies
Until this day, I have no idea what cookies are… However, I know they need to be cleared.
Open your preferred browser and delete all your history, cache, and cookies. Clearing your data from your browser will boost your device’s performance and help protect your privacy.
2. Extensions
I use several extensions on my Google Chrome, like Grammarly, Honey, Tailwind, etc. Check which extensions you have and remove the ones you’re not using anymore.
3. Bookmarks
Similar to extensions, bookmarks are also very helpful. A bookmark is a placeholder for a website that allows you to access it quickly.
I still had bookmarks from years ago! Get rid of the ones that aren’t necessary anymore.
3. Computer
1. Files
I am a digital hoarder, unfortunately. This means the digital declutter checklist has become part of my life. Especially, to keep my PC files organized for my blog. The files you need to look at are downloads, documents, photos, videos, etc.
Here’s how you can go about it:
- Clear your downloads by sorting them into appropriate folders in your documents.
- Delete all unnecessary files.
- Rename your files for easy access.
- Transfer files to an external hard drive when you no longer use them on the PC
2. Organize your desktop
Next on the digital declutter checklist we have organizing your desktop:
- Place similar programs together. It will make it more convenient to navigate the desktop.
- Remove or uninstall anything you don’t use anymore.
- Lastly, organize the pinned programs on your taskbar.
3. Recycle bin
Clear the recycle bin. Yup, there’s not much more to say about this topic.
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4. Phone
1. Photos/videos
Photos and videos are the thing that takes up the most space on my phone. Making it a crucial step in my digital declutter checklist.
Firstly, delete all all the unneeded photos. It can include blurry photos and duplicates.
Secondly, organize them into properly named albums for easier future navigation.
2. Notes
If you’re anything like me, you make notes if the simplest thing pops into your head! Which results in numerous notes that hold no meaning anymore.
Go ahead and clear all the notes you don’t need.
3. Apps
How many apps do you have on your phone?
With that answer in mind, how many do you use?
Sometimes apps are like our wardrobes. “I know I haven’t worn it in a while, but I’ll most definitely remember it next season.”
Sounds familiar? Delete the apps you don’t use. They’re just using up space and data anyway.
4. Home screen
Tidy up your home screen.
Go look up “aesthetic phone home screen ideas” on Pinterest. There are a lot of cute inspirational pictures.
You can use widgets and folders with creative names to spice things up. Choose an aesthetic that suits your style. It will make your digital declutter journey much more fun!
5. Contacts
Delete all the contacts on your phone that might be:
- Duplicates
- Old
- Unused
Also, add your most used contacts to your favorites and make sure your emergency contact is still correct. Add emergency numbers to your catalog such as ambulance, police, security services, vet (of course), etc
You can also delete your call history while you’re at it.
6. Messages
I went through my WhatsApp chats the other day only to discover I still had old group chats that everyone had already left…
Clear all chats and delete groups you don’t use anymore.
7. Notifications
Mute app notifications that are unnecessary.
One example is shopping apps like Amazon that tempt you into spending money or social media notifications that distract you from being productive.
Do you want to lower your screen time? Then meet me in this blog post!
8. Update
Update all the apps and software from your phone. I am extremely bad with this, but thankfully, I have a techy husband who’s on top of it.
9. Medical ID
If you hold the ‘volume up’ and ‘lock’ buttons on your iPhone you’ll access a screen where you can see your medical information and emergency contacts.
You can edit this by going to settings > Emergency SOS > Edit Emergency Contacts in Health. After that, you can change your age, medications, medical conditions, allergies, language, and emergency contact here.
Keep it up to date. You never know when you’ll need it.
5. Social media
1. Unfollow
Social media is a toxic place, like it or not. That’s why it’s crucial to make it a safe place for your mental well-being.
Unfollow all accounts that make you feel depressed or unaccomplished. For instance, I trained my Instagram algorithm to show fewer travel reels, because I envied those people.
On another note, check out my Instagram page here! It’s an uplifting and motivational space.
2. Drafts
If you’re not going to use it, then delete it. It takes up a lot of space!
Go through TikTok, Instagram, or any other platform and remove the old drafts.
3. Direct Messages
You know those message requests you get on Instagram from people who are just after money? Yes, delete and block those.
6. Miscellaneous
1. Spotify
Revisit all the playlists you created on your music streaming service of choice. I’ve added music to my liked playlist for years and end up getting tired of it.
Refresh your playlists and remove the songs you don’t enjoy anymore.
2. Shopping carts
Ah, the window shopping loop. Who doesn’t ‘add to cart’ only to never buy the item?
Go through your shopping carts and remove the items or move them to your wishlist.
3. Subscriptions
Subscriptions could be a real money-eater!
Sometimes you want to watch a certain show but it isn’t on Netflix so you get Hulu too. Only to realize you have way too many subscriptions you never use. Has this ever happened to you or is it just me?
Cancel the subscriptions you don’t need and tick them off of your digital declutter checklist. You’ll be surprised how much money you save.
4. Watch lists
Do you collect a bunch of movies or series on your watchlist? Same.
Remove the shows you’ve watched and the ones you’re no longer interested in. This way you’ll find it much easier to choose your next binge 😉
Conclusion
To summarize, there is a lot on the digital declutter checklist. However, you don’t have to do everything at once.
Start decluttering your emails, browser, computer, phone, social media, and more today.
You will soon reap the benefits of a digital declutter in terms of a boost in productivity, increased time, and an overall better experience.
Remember to download the FREE digital declutter checklist here.
Have a great day wherever you are in the world!
Love, Steph ♥
